Valentine’s Day was filled with much kitchen activity. With three different parties wanting to use the kitchen, we needed to make a plan for times and dishes. The easiest part of the planning was our 15 year old daughter’s cooking. She simply wanted to bake snickerdoodles for her boyfriend. That was accomplished the night before. The trickier part of organizing was dinner. Our 17 year old son wanted to make dinner for his girlfriend, and my husband and I also wanted to have a quiet dinner for two.

A plan was made. The younger couple would eat at 5:45, and the parents would eat at 7:45. Prep work and most of the cooking was done prior to the first dinner. To accomplish this, I chose dishes that could be prepped early or cooked slowly. Thus, our braised root vegetables were placed in the oven at 5:30, and the pork was prepped and placed in the refrigerator.

A few hints about this dish. First, you can butterfly the pork yourself. However, I am not a skilled butcher, so I would recommend searching for directions before undertaking this task. Second, the garlic can be minced or chopped, depending on how much garlic flavor you like in each bite. Third, you don’t have to make the sauce, but I found that it adds a nice amount of flavor and moistness to the dish.

Fig-Stuffed Pork

2014-10-15 20:06:38

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Ingredients

4 dried figs, minced

1/2 cup dry red wine

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. salt

1 lb. pork tenderloin, butterflied

2 Tb. olive oil, divided

3/4 cup beef broth

3/4 cup dry red wine

1 tsp. basil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Combine figs and 1/2 cup wine in a small saucepot. Place over low heat, and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine garlic (minced or diced), basil, and salt.

When figs are done simmering, strain figs. Unroll pork and spread figs down the middle (lengthwise) of the pork. Roll in a pinwheel fashion.

Rub all sides of the exterior of the tenderloin with oil; then rub entire exterior with garlic mixture. Place on a baking pan.

Roast for approximately 20 minutes or until pork reaches 140. Rest for 15 minutes.

Fifteen minutes before pork is done, combine broth, 3/4 cup wine, and basil in small saucepot. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

Cut pork into 3/4″ slices, and top with a couple tablespoons of wine sauce.